Trader Joe’s Recalls Peanut Butter with Salmonella… and Still Loved by Patrons

Trader Joe’s has announced it is recalling peanut butter because of a possible link to a salmonella outbreak. “People love this place and everybody that has been there always goes back. It’s just a cool place all around. Everyone we talk to says the same thing.” says Joseph Mas director of marketing for a well known Dallas Law firm which handles unsafe product liability cases.

Trader Joe’s Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter, sold in 16-ounce plastic jars, has been removed from store shelves. Any consumers who purchased the product are asked not to eat it. A full refund will be provided for jars that are returned.

“We have no confirmed information what suggests this peanut butter is unsafe to eat,” according to a statement posted on the Trader Joe’s website.

The Centers for Disease Control reports, however, that the Trader Joe’s peanut butter “is a likely source of this [salmonella] outbreak.” It said 29 people in 18 states have been infected with a particular strain of the disease, and four have been hospitalized. No deaths are linked to this outbreak.

Salmonella bacteria are the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness. In order to reduce salmonellosis, a comprehensive farm-to-table approach to food safety is necessary. Farmers, industry, food inspectors, retailers, food service workers, and consumers are each critical links in the food safety chain. This document answers common questions about the bacteria Salmonella, describes how the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is addressing the problems of Salmonella contamination on meat and poultry products, and offers guidelines for safe food handling to prevent bacteria, such as Salmonella, from causing illness.